The Ripple Effect of a Simple Act of Generosity

Warning – this one is a little discombobulated, but bear with me.

This past week has been an absolute whirlwind for our organization and one that brings a lot of exciting new prospects. And to be completely honest, we owe a lot of the excitement that’s building around Doors to Dream to other people and their absolute, incredible selflessness and generosity. We have had organizations like Charleston Hope reach out to us and recommend a partnership between some of our senior girls and their elementary school girls. We’ve had the YoungLife of Charleston partner with us at Burke to spearhead a recruitment initiative. We’ve had Dean Stephens and Jerry Scheer welcome us into a non-profit incubator to provide us with some office space – something that I appreciate and allows me to get out of my room/current office. So many things are happening and it’s exciting to feel that momentum start to roll or that snowball starting to amass if you will.

And while we have worked hard to develop many of community partners in the area, sometimes it just comes down to a simple act of generosity. Just people doing good things – both big and small. Is that wholesome-sounding or what?

Ok, story time. One of the YoungLife girls who is working with us, Adi, told me this morning after we passed out donuts in front of Burke that last year she put a sticky note in one of the drawers of her dorm’s desk. It was during a turbulent time when she was getting kicked out of her dorm, shortening her freshman year, because Covid was starting to get super scary. All she said on the sticky note was a simple “Enjoy your freshman year and have so much fun. We know we did last year -From the girls here last year” and put her Instagram handle on it. Just a small little note that hopefully put a smile on someone’s face. Well lo and behold, the girl who lives in her room now DM’d her on Instagram saying thank you and that it made her day to see the note and to maybe set up a coffee meeting.

All it took was a little note to make an unknown, random person’s day. A simple act of generosity and thinking of someone else while expecting nothing in return. All it takes is a note or inviting someone in on your plans or acting as an ally alongside someone. Let me tell you, if everyone made it their intention to help one person per day, the world would be pretty fantastic. I don’t think that’s a very hot take. Doors to Dream is benefiting in a real, meaningful way because of someone making it their goal to help someone else and in turn, we are able to expand our impact to more students. The girl who now sits at Adi’s desk in that College of Charleston dorm room got a boost and a potential new friend because of a sticky note. The ripple effect is real and you never know how one small, seemingly insignificant act can real impact someone else.

So write a few positive notes and go to your local bookstore and leave them in random pages of a few books. Or do the ole classic paying for someone in the drive-thru behind you or invite someone you normally wouldn’t to a happy hour. Pick one thing that takes little effort on your part to make someone’s day or career or whatever it may be. It’s so stinking easy and you never know what may come of it. Who knows it could be a life long friend or it could be the progress of an organization that’s trying to help those who need it or it could simply be the main cause of a smile. Regardless, worth it.

Much love and enjoy your weekend,

Sam

“That’s what I consider true generosity: You give your all and yet you always feel as if it costs you nothing.” – Simon de Beauvoir